


Entwined in Silver

by Ablebrid



Series: Vamp Wolf [1]
Category: werewolf - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Fiction, POV Original Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 13:10:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15819543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ablebrid/pseuds/Ablebrid
Summary: Hayden Beckett is a loud and brash omega in Flowing Stream; two traits that have seemed to get him nothing but trouble in the past years. Hayden had gotten used to the constant ridicule and torture, for it was the only life he had ever known. He was different, he knew that because it was constantly drilled into his head by his pack.Ren Paix is the quiet and reserved alpha of the Silver Leaf pack. He isn't looking for his mate, necessarily, because he knows his mate will be male, and the elders in his pack are defiantly less than open. However, a business trip to Flowing Stream, changes his life forever.





	1. Silver Leaf Pack Visit

Hayden..  
"Get up you useless furball! The alpha from the Silver Leaf Pack is going to be arriving later. You have to make yourself presentable, then meet Alpha Jones in his office. Don't keep him waiting, or I'm sure he will enjoy teaching you your lesson," a she-wolf yelled from the top of the stairs while pounding on the door. 

I groaned, "yep, I'll be sure to pretty myself up!" I called while sitting up from my pile of blankets I call a bed. 

I heard the door open, "don't make me come down there you flea," the She-wolf growled low. 

I sighed softly, "I apologize, I spoke out of turn," I said while lowering my head, even though I don't think the wolf at the top of the stairs could see me as I was situated in a shadowy corner of the basement. 

She growled again and slammed the door. I heard her footsteps stalking away through the hard packed dirt. 

I stood to my full height, stretching my arms above my head. I cracked my sore back, sleeping on the floor leaving me sore every morning. I kicked my pile of blankets behind a box, I didn't want someone to see that I had stolen these blankets from the trash to make my sleep in the cold basement more bearable. 

I quickly rummaged through a box near my sleeping area until I found a pair of black pants and a white button-up shirt. I quickly changed from my sleep clothes into the fancy clothing for the day. 

I ran my hands through my long black hair, taming it from a restless night of sleep.  
I sighed, pulling on some socks and some scuffed black shoes. I then ran a hand over my face. 

"You know you can't change it. It makes you unique," my wolf, Salem growled. 

No, it makes me stand out, and every time I've stood out till now I've been beat or insulted. I shot back at him. 

Salem growled, curling up and sulking. 

I shook my head, looking into the mirror I kept hidden down here. I had dark skin, but a lighter skin tone wrapped around my eyes, reaching to my ears. A light tone wrapped up in the front of my neck and under my chin. The palms of my hands were also a lighter tone. 

I sighed, I hope the alpha of the other pack doesn't pick on me about my vitiligo, I get enough about it from my current pack. 

I scratched the back of my neck absentmindedly as I climbed the stairs from the dim basement. 

I opened the door to the cellar that held my 'room'. I stepped out into the morning sun, it was already starting to be warm out, the air full of birdsong. 

I turned to the pack house, the large white building stood in a clearing in the forest. Part of the pack milled about, some in human form and some in wolf form. 

The warriors were sparring in the training yard. A mother chased a pair of twins across the green grass. 

I was floored by a wave of crashing emotions. I had very vague memories of playing with my twin sister, and another pup. He was my closest friend. Too bad they're both dead now. 

I was told, and repeatedly reminded, that my whole pack was killed in a raid years ago. I was dumped here as a pup, and then I was brought up as an omega. I'm eighteen now, and that's all I know about my family. 

Well, I'm turning eighteen today, not that any of my pack cares. I actually almost forgot my own birthday. 

I sighed, trudging up to the pack house. Some wolves glared and pushed me as I passed, others ignored me completely as I climbed the stairs to the alpha's office. 

I knocked, "alpha Jones? It's omega Hayden, I was sent here to serve you and the alpha of the Silver Leaf Pack," I said sheepishly through the door. 

"Come in you idiot," alpha Jones growled from the other side of the door.

I pushed the door open and I was hit by a wave of smell. Fresh rain and books. Shit, my mate is in this room. 

I felt a sharp crack of pain across my cheek. The sudden blow sending me to my knees. 

"You are late! You made me look like a fool in front of Alpha Ren," alpha Jones shouted at me. 

He yanked me up by the arm, "apologize. Get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness," he growled in my ear, pushing me down to my knees in front of the alpha. 

I stared at his black shoes as he sat stiffly in the chair in front of me. I kept my head down, folding in on myself. The scent was strongest, and I knew it was coming from him. Shit. 

"I am so deeply sorry Alpha Ren. It was due to my incompetence that you had to wait so long for me. I understand if you wish to hit me, I deserve it for such negligence," I said, focusing on keeping my voice even. 

All I could think of was how much it was going to hurt when he inevitably rejects me. Why would an alpha go for a weak, insignificant omega? 

"Stop," he ordered, I heard him shift in his chair, "my pack doesn't keep omegas, is this what it's like?" He asked, fake awe dripping from his voice. 

Alpha isn't going to go for that, I thought. 

"Yes, it's grand when they aren't incompetent fools," I felt him glower at me. 

Salem laughed at me inside my head, 'he fell for it.'

Alpha Ren hummed, "well I think I would love to ally with your pack if you give me this omega here," He said smoothly. 

I gulped, I need to bite my tongue so I don't speak out about them speaking about me like I'm property, not a wolf like them. 

Alpha Jones laughed a little, "no, you wouldn't want that one. He's much too vocal, and he doesn't obey orders well. No matter how many times we beat him, he just keeps on disobeying," alpha Jones paused a second, "and he's a trophy of sorts for me," he purred, a creak of a chair signaling him sitting down. 

Alpha Ren nodded, clearing his throat, "well, could I use this omega while I'm here? I want to get a feel for it before I get my own," he said, his voice wavering slightly. 

Alpha Jones snorted, "I don't see why you'd want that one, but why not," there was a swish of fabric; I'm guessing he shrugged. 

Alpha Ren stood, I flinched away from the sudden movement. He went to do something to me but stopped, instead he grabbed my arm gently. 

Sparks shot through my arm where his hand was. His touch felt so warm and comforting, like nothing could go wrong while I was in his arms. I shook my head slightly, I couldn't think this way, it'll only make it hurt worse when he rejects me. 

He guided me up gently, then lead me from the room, "I'll meet again with you tomorrow morning before I depart. I do wish you would change your mind about giving me the omega, though," Alpha Ren said as he left the room. 

He passed his two wolves that were outside the door, nodding to them as he went. They followed in silence. 

Alpha Ren lead me down to a room, he turned to his wolves, "go to your rooms," he said softly to them. 

They nodded, relaxing visibly, "call if you need us, alpha Ren," the dark haired woman said softly before walking to the room across the hall. 

He opened the door to what I guessed was his room. He motioned for me to go inside, I obliged. 

The room was clean and homey looking. The bed was pushed into the corner, a thick quilt resting at the end. A bookshelf stood beside a cold fireplace. Two plush red chairs stood by the fireplace, their legs resting on a fluffy carpet. 

Alpha Ren closed the door. I bowed low, showing my submission. He scoffed, "Alright, that's enough. You're my mate, stop bowing to me," he said softly while walking over to me. 

He put a gentle hand under my chin. He lifted my head slowly, "look at me please, Hayden, was it?" He asked kindly. 

I've never heard a voice so soft and melodic. I looked up slowly to Alpha Ren's eyes. 

I met his bright blue eyes, knowledge hidden behind the ocean coloured irises. His angular face was dusted in freckles, and a slight smile tugged at his pink lips. Curly brown hair fell over his forehead. It was longer in the top than it was in the bottom. 

I was at a loss for words, my mate was beautiful. Wait, no, not my mate, he will reject me for sure. 

Alpha Ren smiled widely, "you're my mate, Hayden," he said softly. 

I stepped back, breaking eye contact, "aren't you going to reject me?" I asked, scared for the answer. 

Alpha Ren tilted his head to the side, "no. Why on earth would I do that?" He asked me, a look of genuine confusion in his eyes. 

"But, Alpha Re-" he cut me off with a wave of his hand.

"Call me Ren," he stated simply. 

I bowed a little, "forgive me A- Ren. But why wouldn't you reject me? I'm a low omega. I'm not strong, I'm not interesting. I'm not a nothing because I'm a freak," I said softly, emotion rising in my voice and threatening to choke me 

Ren shook his head. He surprised me then by pulling me into a hug, "I'm so sorry they made you think that. I'm so sorry I couldn't find you sooner. I'll never let them hurt you again. You're my mate, and I will make sure you are safe for the rest of our days," he said, emotion clogging his voice and making it crack. 

He pulled back enough to look at my face. I smiled a wide, genuine smile, "I've never had someone be legitimately kind to me before," I said quietly. 

Ren frowned at that, and I was afraid that I had said to much. He simply pulled me back into an embrace. He held me his face buried in the crook of my neck for a long time. I simply held him back, reveling in his warmth and scent.

For the first time in my eighteen years of being alive, I felt legitimately safe and happy. 

Alas, all good things have to end. Ren pulled back, wiping a tear from his cheek, "I'm so happy I finally found you," he said warmly. 

I smiled wide, "I'm glad to find someone that finally puts up with me," I said, chuckling slightly. 

Ren smiled sadly, laughing a little, "my dear Hayden, if I didn't put up with you what kind of mate would I be?" He teased. 

I snorted, "well, my darling mate, what do you want to do with the remainder of the day?" I said over dramatically, wrapping an arm around his waist.

He smiled at me, "well, maybe we could put on a movie and just get to know each other?" He asked in his sweet, soft voice. 

I smiled wide, his whole aura putting me at ease, "yeah, that sounds great," I said, finally letting my personality free. 

Ren smiled, kissing my cheek, "y'know I'm liking you more and more the more I talk to you," he said, leading me to the couch. 

He stood by the shelf holding all the movies, "now what do you want to watch?" He asked. 

I shrugged, flopping back on the couch, "dunno, I've never been allowed to watch movies. I heard of something called Disney? I heard that a lot of people like it," I said nonchalantly. 

Ren turned around, he looked appalled, "you've never been able to watch Disney movies?" He turned back to the shelf and picked up a movie in a blue case, "I think we should watch Aladdin," he said as he popped the disc into the player. 

He flopped down beside me as the music started to play. We sat in silence for a while, Ren breaking it, "so, just tell me some basic stuff about you," he said softly, resting his head in my shoulder.

I wrapped my arm around him, "well there isn't much to tell, but I'll try," I said with a slight chuckle. 

 

The credits rolled, but Ren and I hardly noticed. We were laughing hard at nothing in particular. Tears were streaming from my eyes as I held onto my stomach. 

Ren sighed, resting his chin on my chest and looking up at me. We had shifted so we were laying down halfway through the movie. 

He smiled up at me, I looked down at him, "hey, you're staring," I said warmly, smirking slightly.

He shook his head, "I can't help it, my mate is so beautiful," he said sweetly. 

I snorted, "you're a dork," I teased. 

Ren laughed before yawning wide, "shut up so I can have a nap. Today has been so long. I promise tomorrow I'll do all I can to take you home with me. If your alpha doesn't go for it, then I will keep coming back so I can earn his trust. Then I'll take you home with me, whether he likes it or not," Ren said, half asleep. 

I smiled, running my hands through his soft hair, "I would follow you to the ends of the earth if it meant that I didn't have to live in this pack anymore. I'd even fight the Alpha one on one if it meant I could be with you for the rest of my days," I said softly, realizing that despite everything, these words were true.

I have only known Ren briefly, but I would trust him, no matter what. It really is strange what love will do to you, isn't it?

Ren hummed drowsily, "I won't stop until you can be happy and yourself, no matter what," he said, even more asleep than before. 

I smiled warmly down at him, "I know. Go to sleep, I'm here now," I purred low. 

He nodded, then seemingly seconds later, he was asleep. I stayed up a little while, running my hands through his hair. I just looked at his face, trying to memorize all his features. 

'He's an amazing mate,' Salem purred in my mind. 

I know. I can't wait to meet his wolf, I thought back, smiling wide.

Salem yawned, 'I'm going to sleep. Night Hayd,' he said, curling up and going to sleep.

I sighed, kissing the top of Ren's head before finally dozing off into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	2. Ren Returning

Hayden..  
It's been a month since I first met Ren. After the first meeting, he went home, but he's been returning every so often to discuss business with Alpha Jones, and to see me. 

Every time he leaves, it gets a little bit more painful to be without him. It's hard to stay sane when you have to keep your mate a secret. It's hard to keep going, but the idea that Ren will be back again to see me does the trick. 

We have been spending as much time as we could together, but it still never seemed like enough. 

We would steal moments between meetings with the Alpha, and at night. The time that he spent here resulted in a lot of sleepless nights for me. 

He hasn't marked me yet, and he hasn't kissed me yet either. I'm okay with that though, I don't want to worry about hiding a mark. I also don't want the pain of him leaving to be more intense, because I feel like the more we do together, the harder it is. So, in a weird way, I'm glad he hasn't kissed me yet, but I want him to at the same time. 

I was jostled from my thoughts by a banging at my door. It was probably a wolf that wants to pick on me and just make this all harder. 

I groaned, and got up. I had just dressed for bed, so I didn't bother changing before climbing up the stairs and out of the basement. 

It was dark, crickets chirped and bullfrogs croaked from the nearby lake. I saw a figure materialize from the darkness. I shrunk back, but I perked up when I smelled fresh rain and books. 

Ren wrapped me into his arms wordlessly. We held each other for a few seconds, then he placed a finger to his lips and pointed down the stairs. 

I nodded, ushering him down into the basement. I closed the cellar doors behind us.

I ran down the stairs, wrapping my arms quickly around his waist, picking him up and spinning him. 

He laughed his beautiful laugh as he wrapped his arms around my neck and tangled his fingers in my hair. 

He put his forehead to mine, I was smiling like an idiot, the sparks dancing through our bodies. I haven't seen him in two weeks, and it felt amazing to see him again. 

He pulled back, squinting to see me in the dim light coming from the single bulb in the middle of the room. 

He kissed my cheek quickly, "come with me," he purred low into my ear. 

I pulled back, raising an eyebrow, "the alpha actually agreed to give me to you?" I asked in disbelief. 

Ren sighed, "uh, well, no. He still is adamant on keeping you. It's not right! You're not property, you're your own wolf! So, I'm offering you a place in my pack. You will be free to be yourself. You'll be treated like the rest of us," he said, his voice wavering. 

I put a gentle hand on his cheek, tears stinging my eyes, "thank you," I said breathlessly. 

Ren stood in his toes to kiss my forehead, "it's my pleasure Hayd, now let's go. My wolves are waiting on the pack border for us. We will regroup and head back to my- our- pack," he said in a soft whisper. 

I nodded, "Alright. Let's go home," I said, smiling like an idiot. 

Ren laughed, pulling me close again. He nodded simply, and put his finger to his lips. I nodded and followed as he lead me up the stairs by my hand. 

He cracked the cellar door, looking around quietly. He listened for a second, I could hear the sounds of us breathing, and the heart beats of the pack members. Almost all of them were asleep, and those who weren't were far away.

I relayed this information to Ren, he seemed skeptical that I knew this, and could hear all the hearts of the pack. He then nodded and thanked me for telling him.

He huffed, then pushed the door open all the way. I followed him as he crawled out of the cellar. We pressed ourselves into the shadow of the pack house, I grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

He raised an eyebrow, I felt over my neck, "I don't have my necklace. It's the only thing I have from my last pack. It's just down in the box beside my bed," I whispered urgently. 

Ren nodded, "stay," he breathed, he then slipped back down into the basement. 

He reappeared again with the wooden pendant on a rope. It has my name carved onto it, and it was the only thing I had from my old family. From my old pack. 

He put it around my neck, smiling at me before grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the forest. 

We ran into the thick of the forest, only having to dodge a patrol once, but it was easy as I could hear them from a fair distance away. 

We made it to the other wolves waiting for us. Ren walked up to them, nodding at them. 

One wolf opened his mouth to speak, but a howl cut through the silence. We all looked around, but before we could back out of the clearing, a group of wolves surrounded us. 

Ren growled low in his throat, pushing me into the middle of his wolves. There were maybe six or seven in total and they all made a protective circle around me, growling. 

A grey wolf stalked forward, "you have something of ours," he growled low. 

Ren bared his sharp teeth, "he is not your property. He is a wolf just like you. Just like me," he said, his voice deeper than before. 

The grey wolf seemed to bark out a laugh, "it is nothing like us. It is weak and useless. It's a freak," he growled, stepping forward. 

Ren snarled, baring his sharp teeth, "don't take another step. He is coming with us on his own free will," Ren stated, the growling of the Silver Leaf Pack grew louder. 

The grey wolf lowered himself, I knew what he was going to do, and obviously Ren did too. He shifted quickly, his clothes tearing off of him as his bones reshaped. 

Brown fur covered his body, and white speckles covered his muzzle. I could help but chuckle internally, he even has freckles in wolf form. 

He lowered himself as he shifted completely, a low growl emanating from his chest. 

Salem purred in my mind as he saw his mate. I pushed him back. 

Ren shook his fur out, "if you don't let us take him now, there will be trouble," he growled, although I suppose it wasn't Ren talking, it was his wolf. 

The grey wolf barked again, "Alright. Take the puny omega. We will take this fight to you, and we will attack when you least expect it. We did it to your pack before, we can do it again," he said, raising his head, pushing his ears forward, and raising his tail. 

Ren growled, laying his ears flat as he lunged at the grey wolf. Howls and barks broke out as the other wolves in his group lunged that the wolves from Silver Leaf. 

Ren landed on the grey wolf's back. They fought, growling and snapping, the bodies tussled around me. 

I simply lowered myself to the ground, hoping to avoid conflict. I don't know how to fight, and I desperately wished I could help, but I knew I would cause more trouble than good.

This fighting continued until there was a high pitched whine. 

I tried to step forward to see if Ren was okay, but I was pushed back gently by a she-wolf in front of me. 

Ren stepped back, a wound above his eye dripping dark crimson. The other wolf was in a worse state. 

He was bleeding from his shoulder and his side. He lay in the tall grass, breathing heavily. All of the other wolves in his pack stepped back to help him, he was obviously in charge, yet he wasn't Alpha Jones. 

The grey wolf growled, a black wolf helping him up, "this isn't over Silver Leaf," he said loudly. 

Ren shook to get the blood out of his left eye, "We're leaving now, this war isn't over, you're right. We will keep fighting until omegas aren't property anymore," Ren growled, his ears still flat against his head. 

The grey wolf scoffed almost, then he ordered his group to retreat. The other wolves surrounded him and lead him away, "this isn't over!" He called as he disappeared into the forest. 

The She-wolf in front of me stepped forward, "Alpha Asher, we need to go. We need to get back to our pack and tell them of this fight. We need to prepare and speak with our allies," she said softly. 

'His name is Asher,' Salem purred happily. 

Asher nodded, motioning with his speckled snout for the she-wolf to take the lead. I fell back with Asher, he pushed his snout to my side, huffing slightly. I smiled warmly down at him, running my fingers through the soft brown fur on his shoulders. 

He purred in content, smiling a wolfish smile at me, his dark brown eyes twinkling.

We soon made it to three fancy black RVs with blacked out windows. 

Asher lead me to the one in the dead middle, the other wolves climbed into the other two vehicles, and soon the engines roared to life. 

Asher ushered me on with his snout. I climbed the stairs slowly, I had never been inside a vehicle before, let alone an RV. The inside was bright and clean. There were couches on each side with a table in the middle. A room stood at the end of the RV, a wolf sat silently in the driver seat. 

I looked around in awe, "it's so nice in here," I said, walking in a slow circle. 

Asher chuckled a little, shaking his head again, blood droplets landing on the floor. 

I went to examine a shelf, when I did, I heard popping behind me. I turned back to see Ren standing in human form with his hands covering himself. 

I snorted, "that's a good look for you, darling," I teased. 

He shook his head, smirking slightly, "could you go into the bedroom and get me a pair of pants?" He asked. 

I raised an eyebrow, "I dunno, I like the view to be honest," I purred. 

Ren laughed, "okay, but it's drafty, so I'm going to go get pants if you won't get them for me," he said as he started walking towards the back. 

I laughed, flopping onto one of the couches, "the view is even better from back here!" I called after him. 

I heard him laugh, "try not to be so vulgar dear, there are others on this RV," he said as he walked out in some grey plaid pyjama pants.

He flopped down on the couch, resting his head on my lap, and kicking his feet up onto the arm rest. 

I ran my hands through his soft hair, "you're all healed up now by the looks of it," I said softly. 

Ren nodded, sighing, "I'm sorry about tonight. I was hoping to get out without harming any of your old pack," he mumbled. 

I shook my head, "no, I'm sorry that you had to fight for me. I'm not worth it. I'm not worth a war," I said, my voice breaking at the end. 

Ren sat up, grabbing my face so I looked into his eyes, "you are worth it. You and all the other omegas in this world. No one deserves to be treated like garbage, especially not you. You're my mate. I will do whatever it takes to make you feel safe and happy," he paused, wiping away a tear that fell from my eye, "do you believe me?" He asked softly, his voice cracking slightly as he fought down his own tears. 

I nodded and laughed, putting my hand on the side of his face and pulling him in. 

I kissed him to show him all the things I couldn't say. I kissed him like he was going to be ripped away from me at any point. Sparks flew, and I was so happy I felt light headed. 

I wished I could stay like that forever, but alas, oxygen is a staple of life. 

We pulled back, both breathing hard. Ren smiled warmly at me, nodding slightly, "Alright, let's go to bed. I'm excited to finally be able to sleep in the same bed as you and not be worried about wolves from your old pack seeing that we're together," he said as he stood up, pulling me with him. 

I stood and scooped him up in my arms bridal style. Ren laughed, wrapping his arms around my neck. 

I felt butterflies in my stomach as he laughed. It was such a beautiful sound. 

I threw him down onto the bed, his laughter was contagious, and at this point I was laughing too. 

I crawled onto the bed, laying on my stomach between his legs, and resting my head on his chest. 

His laughter died till they were spaced out giggles, his hand running through my hair. I leaned into his hand, he smile warmly down at me.

"Alright, get up here so we can go to sleep," he said jovially. 

I lifted myself onto my forearms, "what about the lights?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. 

He grabbed a remote off the table beside the bed and pressed a red button. The lights throughout the RV turned off. 

"There," he smiled triumphantly. 

I rolled my eyes, flopping down onto him, he grunted, then laughed, "you're heavy! Get off!" He said between giggles. 

I faked hurt as I rolled off of him, "that is no way to talk to your mate," I said loudly. 

He chuckled, "I'm sorry, will you ever forgive me?" He asked, pleading dramatically as he snuggled up to my chest, tucking his head under my chin. 

I chuckled, "I'll find a way," I said softly. 

Ren chuckled a little, sighing sleepily. I started running my hands through his hair, and I felt a huge amount of tension leave his body. 

I smiled warmly, just revelling in my mates company and warmth. He soon fell asleep, his steady breathing lulling me into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Raine

Hayden..  
I woke up as the RV lurched to a halt, I leapt up from the bed. Ren joined me, pulling me close. 

"Sorry 'bout that alpha! The RV in front stopped quick. We're back home now!" The driver called back at us, a slight accent I couldn't pinpoint was twanging his voice. 

Ren loosened his protective grip on me, I smiled down at him. He growled slightly, "I wish they wouldn't do that," he mumbled, getting dressed quickly. 

I smiled, kissing him gently before I got dressed myself, "I'm okay, if that's what you're worried about," I said softly. 

Ren sighed, "you are somehow already amazing at reading me. We aren't even fully mates yet," he chuckled a little sheepishly. 

I nodded, "I had to be good at judging people's moods. I do admit it is easier for me to read you, though," I admitted. 

Ren sighed, "you're safe here," he said simply, wrapping me in his warm arms.

I sighed, "I know," I said softly, squeezing Ren back. 

 

The pack had rushed out to see their alpha and his mate. Now Ren and I stood in the middle of a bunch of gaping wolves. 

"Alright, leave the Alphas alone! Come on, get out of the way please. Come on, I need the Alphas!" A female voice called out, sounding tired. 

A dark skinned girl with long black hair pushed through the crowd. She had a patch of lighter skin around her left eye that wrapped down to her mouth. A lighter patch showed on her chest, the v in her shirt showing it off. 

Her bright green eyes widened when she saw me, "hey, you have vitiligo too," she said lamely, "actually you look really familiar," she mumbled, tapping her chin with her right hand. 

Her wrist had a lighter patch that reached onto the top of her hand. I then noticed a wooden bracelet on her wrist, the words carved into it too small to read from here. 

I raised my eyebrows, wiping my sweating hands on my black shirt, "you seem familiar too. Have you ever visited the Flowing Stream Pack?" I asked her. 

She shook her head, "no, my parents wouldn't let me leave the pack after my twin brother was kidnapped..." she faded off at the end. 

Ren stepped forward, "Raine, do you need something?" He asked her, steering her towards the pack house and away from the group of wolves. 

She seemed flustered for a second, "uh, y-yeah. Sorry Alpha Ren, just follow me. I'll explain more when we get to your office," she said, gaining confidence as she spoke. 

I followed behind, I suppose I'm an alpha now, well more or less. I won't have the full rank until Ren and I mate on the full moon. 

Raine ushered us into a room, closing the door behind us with a finalizing click. 

Ren sat on his dark wooden desk, I switched on the light, and went and sit on the swivel chair behind the desk. Raine steppes forward, flipping through papers on a clipboard. I noticed now that half of her hair was up, and it was secured with a blue pen. 

She cleared her throat, "first, I think that your mother will want to meet your mate, wait, what's your name?" She asked, turning to me. 

I cleared my throat, "I'm Hayden Beckett," I said sheepishly, it still weirded me out about how familiar this girl seemed. 

She raised an eyebrow, "strange," she mumbled barely loud enough to hear, "Are you sure I don't know you, because we have the same last name?" She asked me again. 

I shook my head, "I'm not sure," I mumbled, fiddling with my necklace. 

She squinted at me, but Ren broke the silence, "you didn't tell me your last name," he asked, turning to look at me. 

I smirked slightly, "well, it doesn't matter much because I'll be taking your last name soon," I purred, sitting forwards. 

He blushed, his blue eyes widening as he turned away, a hand over his mouth. He laughed a little. 

Raine cleared her throat, "I hate to break this up, but could you come over here for a second Hayden?" She asked, fiddling with her bracelet. 

I swallowed hard, wiping my hands on my jeans before standing. I walked over to her.   
She reached towards my neck, Ren letting out a little growl from behind me. She scoffed, "oh relax Ren, I'm not coming onto him." she said as she reached into the neckline of my shirt and pulled out my necklace. 

She turned the wooden pendant over in her right hand. Her left hand flew to her mouth.   
I raised an eyebrow, "what?" I asked her. 

She turned her bracelet over so I could see, "read it," she said quietly.   
Hers read: Raine Beckett. 

I looked up at her, "I don't understand," I mumbled sheepishly.

Raine shook her head, "no, read yours now," she demanded. 

I raised my eyebrows, "mine says Hayden Beckett..." I said quietly. 

Raine smiled wide, tears springing to her eyes, "oh! I though you were gone forever! I'm so glad that father made these for us! Now you're here, are you alright?" She rushed out quickly. 

I shook my head, "wait, Raine? Is it really you?" I asked in disbelief, childhood memories coming back in flashes of happiness and colour.

Raine laughed and nodded, pulling me into a crushing bear hug. I laughed and hugged her back. We pulled apart, however, when Ren growled loudly. 

I laughed, "relax Ren. This is my sister!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. 

Raine snorted, "twin sister, although, I must say that I got the looks and the brains," she teased, poking my side as she danced away. 

Ren raised his eyebrows, "wait? Raine, this is really him?" He asked in disbelief. 

Raine nodded, and Ren slapped a hand to his forehead, "of course! That's why you seemed so familiar when I met you!" He said through his hand. 

I laughed, "the other pack told me that my old pack was killed! Oh my god, you're both alive! Where are our parents Raine?" I asked her. 

Her face dropped, and I knew it was a bad question, "they died almost eighteen years ago," she said quietly, "I'm sorry," she added.

I felt my heart drop to my stomach, "oh, it's alright. I didn't really know them, so I suppose it shouldn't hurt," I mumbled. 

Ren stood up, walking over to me. He raised an eyebrow, almost like he was asking permission to touch me. I nodded, pulling him into a tight hug. My arms were around his slim waist, and I held him to me like my life depended on it. 

Ren ran a hand through my hair, "shh, it's okay Hayd. I know it hurts, and that's okay. I'm here for you, and so is Raine. It's okay," he whispered reassuring words to me constantly. 

I knotted my hands in Ren's soft shirt. I didn't know my parents, and now I never will. It's all Alpha Jone's fault. If it weren't for him I'd have grown up with my twin sister, and my best friend. 

I tensed up when I felt a warm hand on my back. I loosened up when I realized it was Raine. 

I shook my head, "it's all Jone's fault. He didn't even tell me any members of my old pack were alive," I said through gritted teeth. 

Ren pulled back to look at me, "he didn't tell you that he took you from this pack?" He asked me. 

I shook my head, setting my jaw. A wave of red hot fury ran through my body, nestling itself in my chest. Ren put a gentle hand on my cheek, I tensed up a second, then relaxed and leaned into his touch. 

Raine cleared her throat again, "I hate to break this up again, but we should tell the pack of you finding your mate. Introduce Hayden formally, y'know?" she said softly. 

I tensed up again, but Ren voice my thoughts, "do we have to?" He asked. 

Raine snorted, "yes Ren. The pack need to know their new alpha," she said, slightly impatiently. 

Ren cleared his throat, "well, what about the elders?" He said sheepishly. 

Raine made a noise of understanding, "right. Shit, well we won't introduce him today, we'll instead tell your mom and see how she reacts. Then we'll see if we should introduce him tomorrow, or talk to the elders first," she said, flipping through her clipboard again. 

I swallowed hard, I've just gotten here and I'm meeting his mom. Great. 

Ren nodded, "I'll call her here right now," he said before going silent for a second, "Alright, she's on her way," he mumbled. 

Raine nodded, "well I'll let you two deal with this on your own. Have fun you two," she said with a slight smile as she waved and disappeared through the door. 

Ren growled, mumbling worriedly under his breath. 

I walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his middle. I rested my chin on his shoulder, "what's bothering you?" I asked softly. 

He shook his head, "I don't want to unload stuff on you. You have enough to deal with," he mumbled. 

I snorted, "Ren, you're my mate. Your problems are mine too," I said reassuringly. 

Ren sighed, "I suppose you're right. Well, the elders in the pack are close minded. I'm scared how they will react to us both being male. My mother is fairly good with the same sex couples in the pack, but I'm scared how she will react to her only son being gay. I'm gonna push the formal introduction party as far as I can," he said, still staring at the closed door that Raine just disappeared through.

I kissed the dip between his neck and his shoulder, causing him to shiver slightly, "it'll all work out darling, trust me," I purred. 

Ren hummed, running a hand along my arms, "I hope you're right," he mumbled. 

There was a knock at the door, I jumped, letting go of Ren reluctantly. Ren sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting from foot to foot, "come in," he said simply. 

A short, middle aged looking woman walked in quickly. She smiled warmly at Ren, and I saw a fair amount of similarities. She had long, curly brown hair and brown eyes. Freckles covered her face and arms. She was tanned, and strong looking. A white muscle shirt showing off her muscular arms, and army green shorts showing off her strong legs. 

She clapped Ren on the back, "it's good to see you back son. Now who is this?" She asked kindly, her voice sweet, a slight accent twanging her voice. 

Wait, that's Ren's mother? Holy shit. I don't know if I should be scared because she looks so strong, or happy because she seems really nice. I'll leave it as undecided until I get to know her better. 

Ren smiled a little sheepishly, "actually, the funny thing is, uh, well," he stuttered on. 

I sighed, stepping forward and smiling widely, "I'm his mate. My name's Hayden Beckett," I said proudly, the statement still sending butterflies fluttering through my stomach. 

Ren laughed a little nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "yeah, what he said," he mumbled. 

Ren's mother raised an eyebrow, before a huge grin spread across her face, "oh Renny! I'm so happy for you dear!" She exclaimed, pulling Ren into a bear hug. 

Ren let out a relieved laugh, "you're not upset that my mate's a male?" He asked nervously. 

Ren's mom pulled back, "of course not! You can love whoever you want," she turned to me, still smiling, "I'm Aspen Paix, nice to meet ya Hayden," she said sweetly, hugging me tightly. 

I laughed nervously, awkwardly hugging her back. Ren laughed, a real laugh this time, "careful, she's a hugger," he said impishly. 

Aspen let go, laughing, "you like it," she said to Ren. 

He rolled his eyes, causing his mother to gasp and feign anger, "did you just roll your eyes at me young man?" She asked. 

Ren laughed, "maybe I did," he said wryly. 

Aspen laughed, "Alright, go get ready. I want to take you and Hayden out for dinner so we can talk more," she said as she turned to leave. 

I laughed, "it's a date then," I said wryly. 

Aspen laughed, "you know it dear," she said as she disappeared down the hallway. 

I smiled warmly over at Ren, "that went well," I stated. 

Ren hummed, "yeah, the elders won't be so easily swayed, though," he mumbled anxiously. 

I sighed, I wish I could take all this worry away from him, "Ren, there's nothing we can do about it right now. Let's just go get ready for dinner," I grabbed his hand. 

He seemed to unfreeze at my touch, a small smile creeping onto his face, "Alright," he said quietly as he let me tug him from the room. 

I paused once we got outside of the room, "uh, I don't know where our room is," I mumbled. 

Ren laughed, "I'll lead the way, don't worry," he said as he started to walk off down the long hallway with me in tow. 

I smirked slightly, "awe thanks Renny," I teased. 

Ren snorted, looking back at me with a disgusted face, "please never say that again," he said with a laugh. 

I chuckled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "I'll think about it," I said wryly. 

Ren rolled his eyes, laughing, "Alright, this is my- our- room," he said, motioning to a dark wooden door. 

He lead the way inside, and I gawked around at the room. On the far wall stood a fire place. Two plush grey chairs sat atop a white rug in front of the fireplace. 

On the other side of the room was a large bed, curtains wrapped around the whole bed, but currently they were pulled back against the poles. There was some random art works on the wall, all signed in white paint with the initials RP. 

There were large bookshelves near the bed, and a large wardrobe pushed against the wall that held the door. 

The whole atmosphere of the room was relaxed and quiet. Ren dug through his wardrobe.   
"Well, we'll have to get you some clothes, so maybe we can do that while we're out. Also sorry about my room, I have to put a lot of calming things in here because that's the only thing keeping me from having a nervous breakdown. Well, that used to be it, now you help me, a lot," he rambled, blushing slightly at the end. 

I smiled warmly at him, "no, it's nice," I said as I closed the door and joined him near the wardrobe. 

He passed me some clothes, "here, change into those. They might not fit right, but it's better than nothing. 

I nodded, taking the clothes and walking over to the bed. I pulled off my shirt, Ren turning around in time to see. 

He gasped slightly, walking over to me slowly. I turned to cover my scarred back, but Ren had already noticed. 

He looked into my eyes, his left hand over his mouth as his right hand rested over my heart.   
"What happened?" He asked, genuinely appalled. 

I sighed, "it's-" I began. 

"Don't you dare tell me it's nothing." He furrowed his brow. 

I sighed again, "fine. I was an omega. The slave and the butt of all the jokes. These scars are from when I was fifteen and some older teens got their hands on some wolfsbane. They cornered me, and hit me with sticks covered in the stuff. They got bored soon, however, because I was so used to being hit that I didn't call out or try to fight back. They left me to heal, but they knew I never would completely. Some other scars are from other things, but the majority of them were from that instance," I recalled quietly. 

Ren set his jaw, "I would say that I'd hurt them all, but then, that's making me as vile and cruel as them," he said angrily. 

I put my hand on his cheek, "please don't get mad. They are just ugly scars from ugly people. It's all in the past, and there is nothing you can do about your, or my, past," I said softly. 

Ren nodded, "Alright. You're right. Let's just get dressed," he mumbled, going and retrieving his clothes. 

I sighed, pulling on the shirt he gave me. It was a collared, button up tee shirt. It was a deep red colour. 

Ren went into his connected bathroom to change. I was slightly hurt that he wasn't comfortable enough with me to change in front of me, then I realized that he was angry. He probably needs time to cool down alone. 

I soon was changed into the black pants that he gave me as well. I noticed now that I didn't have a pair of shoes to wear. I hadn't put on shoes before leaving with Ren. 

I didn't notice last night because of all the commotion, and earlier when we arrived, I was distracted then too. I sighed, pulling on the socks that Ren gave me. 

I got up and walked to the bathroom door. I knocked lightly with two of my knuckles, "Ren? Darling? are you almost done?" I called through the door. 

He opened it up to reveal that he was in a simple black shirt with a dark blue scarf wrapped around his neck. He had on blue jeans and black shoes. 

I looked to his face to see that he looked like he was crying. I furrowed my brow, "oh darling, what's wrong?" I asked softly. 

Ren wrapped his arms around my shoulders, burying his face into the crook of my neck, "I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner. I could have helped more. I'm so sorry Hayden," he sobbed into my shoulder. 

I rubbed his back, holding him tight to me, "shh, it's okay. I'm here now. The past can't be changed. I have you now, and that's enough for me. I'm okay, I promise," I whispered to him.   
Soon he pulled back, he wiped his eyes, "I'm sorry I did that," he mumbled. 

I shook my head, "it's okay Ren," I said reassuringly. 

Ren nodded, "Alright, let's go find my mom before she has a fit," he said, turning to the door.   
I laughed, shaking my head as I followed him from the room and out of the pack house. 

 

I cut into the pancake in front of me. Ren and Aspen spoke as they ate their food, something about a spring festival next year. We had decided on a place that specializes in breakfast. 

Aspen then turned to me, "you act like you've never seen a pancake before dear," she said jovially. 

I cleared my throat, "I, uh, I haven't. I've heard of them, but I was mainly fed scraps in Flowing Stream. I didn't get unburnt or fresh food," I said, swirling the straw in my water. 

Ren growled low, Aspen shooting him a look before turning to me, "well, I can assure you that that won't be the case here. You're alpha along with Ren," she said, placing a soft hand on mine over the table. 

I smiled wide and nodded, the idea that I might actually be treated right here finally sinking in. I shoved some pancake into my mouth, realizing how hungry I was right now. 

Aspen relaxed a little, "good. Now what do you want to talk about. You can ask me anything about the pack, or just about random things," she said kindly. 

I nodded, thinking a second, "what were my parents like?" I asked sheepishly, swallowing a large bite of pancake. 

Aspen drew in a breath, I sunk back slightly, "never mind, you don't have to answer. Forgive me for being so blunt," I mumbled. 

Aspen shook her head, "now dear, that's not it. I was surprised, that's all. Your parents' names were Camellia and Jackson. Camellia was the Beta of this pack, she was a kind and good Beta. Jackson had vitiligo just like you and your sister," she said, her eyes glazing over in memory. 

I smiled a little, looking down to my glass of water again, "huh, so that's where Raine and I got it," I mumbled. 

Ren tilted his head to the side, "pardon me asking, but you are very educated for being an omega," he stated. 

Aspen gasped, "Ren!" She exclaimed. 

Ren shook his head, his eyes widening, "no! No, that's not what I meant. I meant that I thought you weren't allowed to learn or to do anything like that," he corrected. 

I hummed, "I wasn't. I had an old friend in the pack, she would always sneak me books to keep me occupied when I was locked in my basement. She was my only friend for many years, however, the moon goddess seems to hate me," I laughed bitterly, "She was three years older than me, and she found her mate a couple of days after her eighteenth birthday. He was from a different pack, so she decided to move into his pack with him. I told her to go, she was worried for me, but I said I would be okay. I promised I would run away, but I didn't have anywhere to go, so I stayed," I said, the memory of my friend, Dawn, crushing me. 

Aspen sighed, "I'm sorry. What's her name?" she asked kindly. 

I sighed, "her name is Dawn Pickett. I haven't seen her since she left for Green Tree Pack," I said softly, picking at my pancakes. 

Aspen nodded, Ren hummed, "the Green Tree Pack is very friendly," he said absentmindedly. 

I sat up straight, "wait, does that mean I could maybe see her again?" I asked, turning to him expectingly. 

Ren jumped a little, obviously lost in thought, "I mean yeah. I could call the alpha tomorrow and ask if he could send her over?" He asked. 

I nodded quickly, "could you?" I asked sheepishly. 

Ren chuckled, grabbing my hand under the table, "of course. It's no bother to me," he bumped my shoulder with his, "anything for you Hayd," he said warmly. 

I blushed slightly, laughing, "thank you darling," I whispered to him. 

Aspen cleared her throat, and I noticed now that mine and Ren's faces were only an inch apart. 

We both jumped back, Aspen laughing a little at us, "oh, you two are mates. I understand, especially because you had to hide your relationship in Flowing Stream," she said, picking at the remains of her food. 

I raised an eyebrow, "how'd you know about that?" I asked. 

She chuckled a little, "well Ren used to come home from his 'business trips' and rant about how they treated you and how he couldn't be open with your relationship there," she said, sitting back from the table. 

Ren's face flushed red, "mum," he mumbled. 

Aspen chuckled, "sorry dear," she stretched and stood, "Alright, if you two lovebirds are finished we should get started on clothes shopping for you Hayden, dear," she said, pulling out her wallet. 

Ren got up from the booth, "mum, I can't let you pay for us both," he said as he reached for his wallet. 

Aspen snorted, "Ren, I'm your mother," was all she said as she walked off to pay. 

Ren stood flabbergasted, causing me to laugh. He turned back to me with his eyebrows raised as I stood from the booth as well. 

I grabbed his hand, still chuckling, "wow, she's strong willed," I said warmly. 

Ren snorted, looking after her, "yeah. I take more after my father," he said as he started walking with me to the front of the diner. 

I raised a brow, "what do you mean?" I asked him. 

He chuckled and little sadly, "he was really quiet and soft spoken. They balanced each other out," he said. 

I smiled down at him, "well, you're fairly strong willed about things too darling," I said to him as we joined his mother, who was already inside the car. 

He sat in the front, and I sat in the back. Aspen turned the key and backed out of her space, "Alright, let's go shopping!" She said excitedly. 

Ren looked at me with a scared expression through the rear view mirror. I laughed, not knowing what I was getting into. 

 

"Are you sure you have everything?" Aspen asked Ren and I. 

I nodded, "I think so. Thank you again for dinner Ms. Paix," I said as I shifted my grip on one of the bags of clothes I was holding. 

Aspen sighed, "Hayden, how many times do I have to tell you that you can call me Aspen?" She asked. 

I chuckled a little, "apparently more than you though. Sorry Aspen," I joked. 

She laughed a little, "Alright, well you boys have a good night. I'll see you two tomorrow," she said as she walked off down one of the dark hallways. 

Ren nodded for me to follow as he set off in the opposite direction. 

This whole trip was strange for me, I had never been off of pack territory before besides driving to Silver Leaf. 

After we finished dinner we went shopping to get me some clothes. Aspen assures me that I don't have enough and we'll all have to go out again. Ren, however, thinks it should just be us two to go. He loves his mother, but spending a lot of time with her tires him out. 

I am alone carrying at least five bags. Ren has less, but all of the bags have a fair amount of clothes in them. 

We made it to our room, Ren throwing his bags down beside the wardrobe, "we'll deal with it tomorrow morning. I'm exhausted," he said as he pulled his shirt off, tossing it in a hamper. 

Soon he stood in only boxers, they were red with black seams. He climbed into bed, snuggling under the blankets. 

When he saw I wasn't with him he sat up and looked at me with an eyebrow raised, "come on," he said simply. 

I snapped from my daze and followed suit. Soon I stood in my old black boxers. 

I walked sheepishly over to the bed after clicking off the light. Ren snorted, patting the bed beside him.

I chuckled, climbing into bed beside him. I just lay down when he snuggled up to my side. He hummed in content.

I laughed a little, "goodnight my Lotus," I said quietly.

Ren sat up and looked at me, his blue eyes seeming to glow in the low light, "wait, how do you know that?" He asked, flabbergasted.

I chuckled, "I was an omega, not stupid. I know what your name means," I said simply.

He snorted, laying back down with his head on my chest, "well, goodnight Hayd," he mumbled sleepily. 

I hummed, closing my eyes. I pulled Ren closer, my fingers running through his soft hair, just enjoying his warmth and presence. 

Soon I heard his breathing deepen, he relaxed a little and I knew he was asleep. I heard his heartbeat slow as he fell into deep sleep soon after. 

I soon fell into a deep sleep after. The only problem is....

This sleep was plagued by nightmares.


	4. A Sleepless Night

Ren..  
A sharp pain shot across my face, I grunted as I sat up, my hand rubbing my sore cheek. 

I was distracted from my pity party when I heard Hayden whimpering. I shook myself from my sleep-filled daze and looked over to him. 

He was curled into a tight ball. His hair was a tousled mess, and tears streamed down his face. His hands gripped at his face, and I noticed that his nails broke skin a couple of times, crimson leaking from the trails. His tears were tinted red, and it was strange. I simply acquitted it to the fact that he was scratching his face.

I inhaled through my teeth. I then reached down, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jumped, tensing up more, if that's even possible. 

"Hayd, darling, it's alright. I'm here," I whispered calming words to him. 

His eyes fluttered open, he flew up, knocking me back slightly. His left eye was amber, and his right was green. His eyes were full of fear, until they came to stop on me.

He broke down sobbing seconds later, throwing his arms around my middle, his face pressed to my chest. 

"I- I- this dream- you- we were- I thought I lost you," he choked out between wracking sobs. 

I held tight to his shaking body, I had never seen him so upset, even when I came to visit him one time right after a group of wolves attacked him because he was outside. 

I pressed my lips to the top of his head, taking in his scent; apples and leaves in the fall. 

"It's okay. I'm here, I'll never leave you. I love you Hayd," I said softly into his messy hair. 

Hayden squeezed me tighter, "I love you too Ren," he said, pulling back to look at my face. 

His eyes were back to their vibrant green again. Strange. 

I put a hand on his cheek, taking in his features. 

He had a mask around his eyes where his skin was lighter. That patch also wrapped to his ears. His neck was lighter, and it ended in his collar bones. 

He smiled wryly, still sniffling, "I know I'm a view, but you can stop staring," he said jokingly. 

I snorted, kissing his soft lips gently, "oh shut up," I pulled him gently back into bed, "Come on, I'll stay up for a while and make sure you get to sleep, okay?" I said, snuggling to his chest. 

He chuckled a little, "how'll you know I'm asleep?" He asked, his fingers toying through my hair.

I looked up to him, "I can hear your heart beat, it's quiet, but I can hear it. Now stop stalling and go to sleep," I said lightly. 

He sighed, sitting up slowly, "I'd rather not, if that's okay. I'm not feeling it after that nightmare," he said sheepishly. 

I sat up too, "of course you can get up. Do you want to go down to the media room and watch a movie?" I asked, grabbing his warm hand. 

He ran his thumb along my hand, "yeah, I'd like that," he said quietly. 

I could tell that the nightmare really upset him because he wasn't being himself. He was quiet and reserved, and I've only ever seen him like this around wolves at the Flowing Stream Pack. 

I was hit by a thought, "Hey, isn't Flowing Stream big on swimming?" I asked him. 

He nodded, "yeah, Dawn taught me when we were younger. I would always swim at night, it was oddly relaxing," he mumbled. 

I smiled wide, "well, I have a surprise for you then," I said, getting up. 

Hayden mumbled a little, "could it not be a surprise. I hate surprises, they were never good in Flowing Stream," he said quietly. 

I walked over to him, putting a hand on his cheek, "Hayd, I would never do anything to hurt you. Do you believe me?" I said softly, searching his green eyes. 

He leaned into my hand, "I want to believe it. I really want to," he said quietly, tears choking his voice. 

I sat down beside him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders burying my face in the crook of his neck , "what happened in that dream?" I asked him, starting to pull back to look at him. 

He pulled me back to him, "don't pull away," he leaned his cheek against my head, "in my nightmare you rejected me. It hurt so bad, I didn't think I was going to survive. Then, you woke me up, and I saw you. I saw that you were still here. I saw that you didn't reject me, even though you probably should," he faded off at the end, tears still thick in his voice. 

I sighed, his warm scent enveloping me, "Hayden, I would never leave you. You do not deserve to be left either. Yes, you were an omega in Flowing Stream, but you are in Silver Leaf now," I pulled back, looking at his tear stained face, "I love you with all my heart Hayden Beckett," I proclaimed as I wiped away his tears with the pad of my thumb. 

He nodded, laughing a little before kissing me. I gave in to the kiss, sparks flying as Hayden pulled me in somehow closer. 

He flipped me over so I was on my back, and he was on top of me. My fingers were tangled in his hair. 

We pulled apart, both of us breathing heavily. Hayden rested his forehead on mine. 

I smiled, "that was wonderful, but I still want to take you somewhere," I said softly. 

Hayden leaned back a little to look at my face, a smirk tilting his lips, "well, we'll have to resume some other time then," he teased, his voice a little deeper than usual. 

I kissed him quick, "of course," I said quietly. 

Hayden..  
"Alright, watch that rock. Just a little farther," Ren said, his one hand on my lower back and his other holding my hand. 

He had driven me through a forest. It was still night, and I couldn't see anything outside of the vehicle. I don't understand the need for a blindfold. 

I tripped slightly, Ren's grip tightened, "oh goddess, sorry Hayd," he mumbled. 

I snorted, "it's fine really, but where are you taking me?" I asked, each footstep was uncertain. 

Ren kissed my neck, seeing shivers down my spine, "we're here now," he said softly. 

I could see smears of light through my blindfold now. Strange, I wonder where he brought us to. 

I felt him go behind me, his body brushing mine as he leaned up and untied my blindfold. He let it drop to the ground. 

I looked around to see a clearing in the forest. A cliff stood almost straight in front of us. White Christmas lights hung from the trees. Up against the cliff was a fairly large pool of water, a flowing waterfall fell into the pool. 

The whole clearing was carpeted with lush green grass, some wildflowers grew throughout the grass, sprinkling colour here and there. 

Ren wrapped his arms around my middle from behind, "let's go for a little swim," he said into my ear.

I chuckled, "Lotus, we didn't bring any swim trunks," I said, turning my head towards him. 

He smirked, "did we?" He said as he swung a pack off his back. Huh, I didn't notice that before. 

He pulled out my new pair of swimming shorts, "huh, that's why you were so adamant on getting swim trunks. Even though it's not really warm enough to swim," I added, glancing nervously towards the pool. 

He shook his head, "it's a hot spring," he said as he pulled off his white shirt. 

I hummed, following suit. I pulled off my jeans, and I turned around before pulling off my boxers too. I pulled on the dark blue shorts quickly. 

I wrapped my arms around myself, us wolves don't get cold easily, but this action was more of a habit. 

I turned around, "Hey, you almost ready?" I asked jokingly. 

Ren turned around, still tying his shorts, "yes princess," he said jokingly. 

I feigned hurt, "I am not a princess!" I exclaimed. 

He walked over, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and looking up to me, "I'm sorry. You're a Prince, then," he said jovially. 

I snorted, picking him up bridal style, "yeah well, at least I'm not the damsel in distress," I purred, smirking down at him as Ren pouted in my arms. 

He crossed his arms, "I'm not a damsel. I'm in distress, but I'm no damsel," he said. 

I laughed, "sure." 

 

"I warned you about splashing me again!" Ren shouted as he launched himself at me. He wrapped his arms around my middle and tackled me into the water. 

We came up sputtering and laughing, "Lotus, that was a dirty move," I said as I brushed my now wet hair from my face. 

He smirked up at me, "maybe," he said as he swam into the deeper part. 

I felt a shiver up my spine, "Hey, maybe we should get out. I'm cold," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. 

Ren swam over to me, "Alright, let's get dried off and changed and we can head home. What do you say to a movie and a warm blanket after this?" He asked, taking my hand and leading me from the water. 

I sighed, already picturing it, "yeah, I like that idea," he tossed me a towel, "Hey, do you have popcorn? Dawn snuck me some when the pack had a movie night," I asked, excited to try the food when it wasn't burnt. 

Ren smiled, "yeah! I'm an amazing popcorn maker!" He said excitedly as he dried his hair. 

I smiled warmly, chuckling slightly. A warm feeling creeping into my chest. I should be used to this by now, because I feel it every time Ren smiles or laughs at something I say. 

Seeing him happy makes me happy. I know it sounds stupid and cliche, but I don't care.   
Ren turned to get dressed, and I did the same. Soon we were both dressed in our warm, dry clothes. 

I sighed, "y'know, I think I've found the second best feeling in the world. The first is when I make you laugh, the second is putting on dry clothes after being cold and wet," I said as I draped my towel over my shoulder. 

Ren chuckled, "preach it sister," then the full realization of what I said sunk in and he blushed and laughed, "oh, you're such a dork," he said, punching me lightly on the arm. 

I laughed, wrapping my arm around his shoulder, "yeah well, I'm your dork," I said, kissing his cheek quickly. 

 

"Okay, no really. Please just pick a movie," Ren said, flicking through the hundreds of movies in Netflix. 

I sighed, dramatically draping myself over the arm of the couch, "I just don't know!" I said over dramatically. 

Ren laughed at my little show, "well what about a horror?" He asked, coming across the horror category. 

I sat up, "I've never seen a horror movie before," I said excitedly. 

Ren nodded, clicking on one with a scared looking woman. I feel like that might be a trend in this genre. 

The movie loaded and we snuggled in to watch. Ren clambered onto my chest, his head resting a little bit below my chin. His one hand toying with my shirt distractedly. 

I smiled warmly, then averted my gaze to the TV, but after Ren, everything else seems boring. 

I ran my hands through his soft hair, gently working out the knots from swimming. It was still fairly dark outside, a cricket was chirping loudly outside the window. 

Fuck, I haven't been watching the movie, I hope nothing big happened. 

 

A lot of the movie passed uneventfully. It was a super suspenseful scene, and I could feel how tense Ren was.

This movie didn't really scare me, but it quite obviously scared Ren, he just didn't want to admit it. 

 

There was a loud crescendo of music, and a 'scary' ghost popped out. Ren jumped hard, startling me with his reaction.

I started laughing, Ren relaxing at the sound, "shit! You scared me when you jumped," I said between laughter. 

Ren laughed a little tiredly, "I was tired before we watched this," he said quietly. 

I hummed, "why don't we turn it off, and then we can put on something else. We could both probably use more sleep," I said, emphasizing my point by yawning. 

Ren nodded, clicking the remote, and the TV screen went black. he then grabbed another remote and clicked it, the soft drone of the radio came on. 

A catchy sounding song came on, Ren hummed to it as he got comfortable again.   
I ran a hand through his hair gently. 

He sighed, "goodnight, my prince," he said sleepily.

I chuckled at the nickname, "goodnight Lotus," I whispered to him. 

Soon I noticed that his breathing had deepened and his heart rate had slowed, meaning that he was asleep. 

I sighed, staring up at the white ceiling. Everything was cast in shadow, the radio man talking about some sports event. 

I didn't want to go to sleep. I didn't want to leave this reality. The one where I am legitimately happy, I have a loving mate. I have my twin sister back, and I'm back in my birth pack. I know the truth about my family. I'm happy. 

Ren snored a little, then returned to peaceful sleep. I smiled warmly down at him, his freckled nose crinkled slightly. I swear to the moon goddess if he drools on my shirt. 

I soon found myself dozing off too. The gentle lull of sleep pulling at my eyelids. My brain went groggy. 

I yawned, snuggling under the covers and Ren. I was warm. 

Soon I fell into a deep sleep, this time I was free from nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my original story that will have at least one more book after this one. I am posting the rough chapters here, and I will be posting the final, finished, item on wattpad. 
> 
> I will keep everyone posted on story status.


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